TWO BIGS
With Quentin Millora-Brown now on board for Gilas Pilipinas for the coming second window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers at home, only Kai Sotto is left unaccounted for and sources told the Inquirer on Thursday that the 7-foot-3 center’s club team in Japan has absolutely nothing to do with it.
“Like QMB, he got a go-signal from his club (Koshigaya Alphas) to suit up for Gilas,” the unimpeachable source said on the condition of anonymity, just a few hours after the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas issued a statement announcing Millora-Brown’s U-turn that was influenced by the 6-foot-10 big man’s father.
Reports that Sotto wouldn’t be available for the matches against New Zealand on Feb. 27 and Australia on March 2 because of Koshigaya not giving him the go-signal, with the beanpole just having recovered from ACL surgery, did not sit well with the management of the B.League team.
And the first source said that Alphas officials actually called the SBP leadership to reiterate their stand that they are allowing Sotto to suit up. The team later called Sotto’s management team to get to the bottom of who issued the press release that dragged Koshigaya in.
Apparently, it is Sotto’s management team, East West, that does not want the center to see action to preserve Sotto, who reportedly has a shot at earning a short-term NBA contract, which could come before or during the week of the window.
Big factor
Another source also told the Inquirer that Bryan Brown, QMB’s American father, stepped in and was actually the big factor why the former University of the Philippines star will play in both games.
“QMB really wants to play for Gilas; that has been his desire ever since finishing his UAAP career,” the other source said. “But his management team is asking SBP for something additional that is not part of the Gilas program.”
Upon learning that his son really wants to suit up, Bryan reportedly was the one who gave SBP officials a call, as the father and son team went around the center’s management team to declare QMB’s availability to play.
“The SBP appreciates his continued commitment to the program,” the SBP’s statement on Millora-Brown said. “He’s ready to suit up for Gilas and is going to be an integral part of the current and future of the national team.”
“It was a very great gesture on the part of the father, who, it turns out, is very patriotic,” the source said.
Meanwhile, Dwight Ramos is thrilled to have QMB, who was set to plane in from Japan on Thursday night.
Ramos stressed the importance of having Millora-Brown against the taller Kiwis and Aussies.
“I’m glad he’s able to come,” Ramos told the reporters while watching girlfriend Kianna Dy in PLDT’s PVL game against Akari at FilOil Centre. “I just saw it on Twitter, I think and then obviously we needed some size because New Zealand and Australia are two big teams.”
Ramos, who is playing for Levanga Hokkaido, said they are still missing a few members in training camp, but their progress was “so far, so good.
“We just finished the Inspire training camp and then we’re gonna be practicing every day leading up to the games,” he said.
Dwight confident
The 27-year-old Ramos is part of the pool composed of AJ Edu, Kevin Quiambao, Carl Tamayo, Justin Brownlee, Scottie Thompson, June Mar Fajardo, Troy Rosario, Chris Newsome, CJ Perez, RJ Abarrientos and newcomers Juan Gomez de Liano and Justine Baltazar.
Despite facing powerhouse teams in the next window, Ramos is confident with the Gilas chances, especially since they are playing in front of their countrymen.
“I think it’s good, we’re playing at home, we got the home crowd and then based on the past few practices everyone’s been playing well, so I’m excited to see everyone playing well and do well,” he said. —WITH A REPORT FROM LANCE AGCAOILI
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